The Journey of Savasana

"Remember fear for what it is, resistance to the unknown."-Terry Tempest Williams

Pause, take a deep breath. Invite the possibility to read this article
with a soft face and receptive eyes.

Intrigued by the experiences of letting go, deep rest and the healing
which unfolds on this journey, this article dives into the questions and
uncertainties which are at the essence of savasana.

First, consider when and where you take savasana?

What position do you come to rest in? And, are you really, lovingly,
giving yourself an opportunity to let go?

Put on a few layers to be sure you are warm enough. A thick blanket
over your body is a nice way to encourage the body’s surrender to
gravity…like a gravity blanket resting over your skin layer. And, an
eye pillow or a scarf over the eyes can really help to allow the eyes
and brain cavity to relax into earth. Take adequate time to adjust and
if you have aches and pains in your body, consider using props and
bolsters to support yourself. Some options I like are a bolster behind
the upper thigh bones, thin blocks under the backs of the palms (allows
forearms and hands to soften), or a rolled up blanket in the hollow
space behind the neck.

How much time to you give yourself? Or, how much time do you give your
class, if you are a teacher? In this busy world of time, it seems that
this universally beneficial posture often gets squeezed in, or used
simply as a way to recover from a sweaty yoga class.

"It is to relinquish who you are and to let go of life’s concerns into
the merest of being alive. Such letting go into the smooth presence of
simple being is not the kind of visible, salable skill a businessman or
a violinist might develop. But, it is not at all trivial. To really
let go, to not try, not even a little, is its’ own kind of mastery."-Robert Forman

Second, consider how you drop in and how you retreat from the
posture?

Once you are set, settle and breathe. Feel the parts of your body that
touch earth. Feel the parts of the body that touch sky. You are the
space between earth and sky. Receive the breathe through the layers of
your being. Explore flickering the eyes, open and closed, almost
unconsciously, as you drop into savasana. This is almost a mimicry of
the dying process, slowly, slowly, letting go.

Can you have an intention to let go and simultaneously receive the
unfolding as it manifests inside of you?

When the time comes to retreat from the womb of savasana; pause.

Pause.

Feel the parts of your body that touch earth. Feel the parts of your
body that touch sky. You are the space between earth and sky. Let the
mystery unfold in the space between the inner landscape of your body and
the outer landscape of this world. Absorb the residue which lingers,
right now. However you are inspired to, move slowly towards seated.

Lastly, consider the broader questions/ideas below. Look inwards for
the edges of relaxation and see what you find. For me, it's smooth
edges, endless space and deep mystery. It's sometimes scary, sometimes
sleepy, and always a journey of truth, which asks me to peel back the
layers and really show up for the truth of my life.

Does your yoga practice prepare you for savasana?

What is the transition like, for you, between movement and stillness?

When the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated throughout the
yoga practice, it is much more natural for our whole being to move
towards a state of letting go. Even in a dynamic movement flow, if the
tone of the movement remains soft and fluid, we are much more in tune
with the basic primal rhythms of life (primary respiration, heart-beat,
breath, etc) and as a result we can more deeply merge with the earth
energies as we relax into savasana.

Why is it often referred to as the most important pose?

Given that one of the only certainties in life is death, facing our own
mortality seems something interesting to ponder and even, perhaps,
practice. And, perhaps facing death allows us to really come into
contact with intentions for how we want to live our lives, here and
now.

Notice and embrace the shifts in your practice?

Resist labeling your savasana practice as good or bad. Some days,
weeks or years, we are going through life events and relaxation is
inevitably not easy. Rather then avoiding it all together, create a
safe space and be gentle and open with yourself.

If you have had trauma in your life, savasana can often be the place
where it resurfaces. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, just an
opportunity to revisit and move through events, which are still residing
in the tissues of our being.

"Once again there was a pervasive silence and once again I waited for
the onset of fear to break it up. But this time the fear never
came…within, all was still, silent and motionless. In the stillness, I
was not aware of the moment when the fear and tension of waiting had
left. Still I continued to wait for a movement not of myself and when
no movement came, I simply remained in a great stillness…Once outside, I
fully expected to return to my ordinary energies and thinking mind, but
this day I had a difficult time because I was continually falling back
into the great silence."-Bernadette Roberts

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Sarah Manwaring-Jones

Inspired by the life inside and the life outside of this body, Sarah’s exploration of yoga began with long canoe journeys across the Canadian shield as a child. It was there that she learned first-hand the way that really truly listening and quiet breathing can allow us to truly integrate (or perhaps re-integrate) with this more-than-human world (and ultimately with our own selves).
Soft yet strong movement practices, daily forest walks and consistently growing through the art of relationship have all deepened Sarah’s passion for life, living honestly and sharing with the world around her.
Sarah’s practice explores meditation, pranayama and asana—independently and together. Inspired by teachers who creatively explore what it feels like to live in a body and what it means to live truthfully and free in this world, Sarah has a deep respect for her friend and teacher Gioia Irwin and learns daily from the deep wisdom of the trees and the feather-like ferns of this west coast forest.
Her background extends from a degree in Human Kinetics, international travels to explore the mountains and culture of India and Nepal, years of teaching on outdoor expeditions between Baffin Island and Brasil, a masters degree in education and a continual intrigue with bodily sensations and metaphors in movement.
Sarah resides in Squamish, BC where she offers regular classes and workshops at The Squamish Yoga Studio Co-op. She integrates a deep love of nature and a simple life into the ancient practices of yoga through principles of tensegrity and honouring her own embodied experiences of life, love and loss. To learn more visit: theyogastudiosquamish.com.
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